scholarly journals The quality of the forage eaten by Norwegian reindeer on South Georgia in summer

Rangifer ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svein D. Mathiesen ◽  
Tove H. Aagnes Utsi
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Plant Cell Wall ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
High Quality ◽  
South Georgia

The chemical composition and digestibility of plants selected by Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia (SG) were investigated in the austral summer and compared with two qualities of standard grasses of Phleum pratense of European origin. Paridiochola flabellata, Poa pratense, Poa annua, Deschampsia antarctka, and Phleum alpinum collected on SG contained 14.8, 17.6, 22.8, 16.1 and 10.1% respectively of crude protein of dry matter (DM). Aceana magellanica also collected on SG contained 19.8% of crude protein and 18.8% of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) of DM, while the tussock grass P. flabellata, contained as much as 29-3% of WSC of DM. Total plant cell-wall contents (CWC), including cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin in P. flabellata, P. pratense, P. annua and P. alpinum were 53.2, 49.6, 41.7 and 40.4% of DM respectively, while A. magellanica contained only 17.5% of DM CWC. The lignin concentrations of plants analysed varied between 1.2 and 3.2% of DM. Mean in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of selected plants ranged from 70% in P. flabellata to 83% in P. alpinum after 48 h incubation in rumen fluid from these reindeer. In contrast, the IVDMD of the poor and high quality standard grass Phleum pratense were 54% and 73% of DM, respectively. The forage eaten by reindeer on SG in summer was of high quality, with low lignin content, moderate protein concentration and high degradability in rumen fluid.

The assessment of herbage legume varieties. II. In vitro digestibility, water soluble carbohydrate, crude protein and mineral content of primary growth of clover and lucerne

1966 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ellis Davies ◽  
G. ap Griffith ◽  
A. Ellington
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrate ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Primary Growth

The primary growth of eight varieties of three species–white clover (3), red clover (4) and lucerne (1)–was sampled at fortnightly intervals and the percentage dry matter, in vitro digestibility, crude protein, water soluble carbohydrates, P, Ca, K, Na and Mg were determined.Differences between species were nearly always significant and the general order of merit was white clover, red clover and lucerne. The exceptions were for dry-matter percentage where this order was reversed, and red clover had the lowest Na and highest Mg content.

scholarly journals Digestion of timothy silage and hay in reindeer

Rangifer ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
R. Moen ◽  
M. A. Olsen ◽  
Ø. E. Haga ◽  
W. Sørmo ◽  
T. H. Aagnes Utsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Total Concentration ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Energy Deficiency

Leafy timothy (Phleum pratense) silage (S), silage mixed with molasses (SM) and hay (H) were fed to nine male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) calves in winter to investigate rumen function and digestion. Three calves were given S with 18.5% dry matter (DM), three were given SM (21.9% DM) and three were given H (85.0% DM). The content of water soluble carbohydrates (in % of DM) was 8.2% in S, 16.0% in SM and 8.5% in H. Median (range) daily DM food intake per kg BM was 12.9 (9-2-14.4) g in calves fed S, 19.0 (19-0-21.9) g in calves fed SM and 21.0 (19.2¬21.1) g in calves fed H. In vivo digestion of S and SM DM ranged from 78.5-83.1% compared to only 69-9-72.9% in calves fed H. In vitro DM digestion (IVDMD) of cellulose (median) incubated for 48 hours in rumen fluid was, however, significantly (F = 0.05) lower in calves fed S (24.4%) compared to calves fed SM (42.2%). Median IVDMD of cellulose (48 hours) in calves fed H was 36.4%. Total concentration of VFA (range) in the rumen fluid from reindeer fed H (99.7-113.6 mM) and was significantly (P<0.05) higher compared to animals fed S (57.7-85.9 mM) or SM (51.4-72.0 mM). Likewise, the pH of the rumen fluid (range) was significantly (P<0.05) lower in reindeer fed H (6.40-6.78) compared to animals fed S (6.97-7.30) or SM (6.79-7.27). Based on this study it is concluded that leafy timothy preserved as hay seems to be more suitable as emergency feed compared to silage. Supplementation of molasses to silage seems to stimulate food intake and ruminal cellulose digestion in reindeer. The lower intake of S compared to SM or H by reindeer may be explained by ruminal energy deficiency.

The effect of temperature on quality characteristics in timothy (Phleum pratense L.) genotypes

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 1017-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Ames ◽  
A. R. McElroy ◽  
J. Erfle
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Genetic Traits ◽  
Phleum Pratense L

Improving the nutritive value of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) through breeding is dependent on selecting for genetic traits which directly contribute to ruminant digestibility. The identification of these traits is the goal of many forage researchers. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the leaf and stem digestibility of six timothy genotypes under different temperature conditions using two methods of estimating digestibility. Correlations between leaf and stem digestibility were not significant, suggesting that separation of these components is nessessary to clearly evaluate genotypic differences. Temperature had an important effect on digestibility, particularly for the stem fraction. Isolating leaf from stem and evaluating genotypes individually across temperatures may permit the identification of more simple genetic factors which control digestibility in timothy. Genotypic differences were observed at all temperatures. The rumen fluid digestion resulted in a much greater range within and among genotypes for both stem and leaf fractions. Genotypes tended to follow the same trends with respect to temperature using both techniques suggesting that only a portion of the dry matter digested by rumen fluid is available to the cellulases used in these experiments. Lignin content was measured for two of the most variable genotypes and the results showed that while levels increased with higher growth temperature, differences between genotypes are more pronounced at 10 °C for both leaf and stem. Key words: Digestibility, forage quality, lignin, temperature, timothy, Phleum pratense L.

Food intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation in reindeer fed baled timothy silage in summer and winter

1996 ◽  
Vol 127 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. H. Aagnes ◽  
A. S. Blix ◽  
S. D. Mathiesen
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Apparent Digestibility Coefficient ◽  
Natural Range ◽  
Feeding Trials

SUMMARYReindeer calves(Rangifer tarandus tarandus) were used in parallel feeding trials with two different qualities of round-bale timothy silage in September 1992 (summer) and April 1993 (winter) in northern Norway, to determine the effect of season on their food intake and ability to utilize silage of different fibre contents. The silages were prepared from first-cut (FC) and regrowth (RG) timothy. The FC silage contained (on a dry matter (DM) basis) 12·3% crude protein, 30·4% cellulose and 6·2% water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), whereas the RG silage contained 14·3% crude protein, 18·7% cellulose and 30·0% WSC. For each trial, six male calves were taken directly from a natural range and divided into two groups of three animals. One group was offered FC silage and one RG silagead libitum, for 46 days. Mean daily DM food intake (g/kg liveweight) was not significantly different in summer compared to winter(P> 0·05), but significantly higher in the animals fed RG silage compared to the animals fed FC silage (P< 0·0001). The apparent digestibility coefficient of DM was high for both silages both in summer and winter, ranging from 74·4 to 86·6%. However, the digestibility in winter was significantly higher than in summer(P< 0·002) and the digestibility of RG silage was higher than that of the FC silage (P< 0·009). The ruminal VFA concentration was significantly higher in winter than in summer (P< 0·03) and in the animals fed RG silage (range 55·3–104·9 mM) compared to the animals fed FC silage (range 35·2–61·7 mM) (P< 0·002). In spite of the high digestibility of both the FC and RG silages, the nitrogen balance was significantly higher in the animals in winter compared to summer(P< 0·0001) and in the animals fed RG silage compared to the animals fed FC silage(P< 0·0001). Thus, utilization of grass silage in reindeer appears to be influenced both by season and by plant quality.

Single-cut red clover combined with late timothy may be valuable in short-term rotations

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. T. Kunelius ◽  
K. B. McRae ◽  
S. A. E. Fillmore ◽  
G. Dürr
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Short Term

Late-maturing cultivars of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) may be grown in short-term rotations with other crops and harvested for hay and silage. Harvesting forage in mid-summer is often advantageous for field curing, but the quality of mature forage may be low. We studied how harvests at different developmental stages affected yield, composition of herbage, and species persistence. The late-maturing single-cut red clover cultivar Altaswede and late timothy cultivar Farol were grown alone and in combination with and without applied N. Total forage, and red clover and timothy dry matter yields, increased between the first (27 June) and third (11 July) dates of harvest. Timothy grown alone or combined with red clover and fertilized with N produced greater forage yields than red clover alone or red clover + timothy without applied N. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter declined from 670 to 625 g kg−1 and crude protein from 134 to 109 g kg−1 between 27 June and 11 July. Water soluble carbohydrates in forage were low (36–66 g kg−1) in cuts 1 and 2. Macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations were generally highest at the first date of harvest on 27 June. Nutrient concentrations in cut 2 were similar for the three harvest schedules. We conclude that growing late-maturing single-cut red clover combined with late timothy produced high yields with good nutritional quality even at advanced stages of maturity. Single-cut red clover persisted for the first production year making this combination suited for short-term rotations that involve late harvesting of the primary growth. Key words: Red clover, Trifolium pratense, timothy, Phleum pratense, composition

scholarly journals The effect of different proportions of Medicago media Pers. in mixtures with Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus on the yield and feed value of green fodder

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzenna Olszewska ◽  
Stefan Grzegorczyk ◽  
Anna Bałuch-Małecka
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Protein Ratio ◽  
Predominant Species ◽  
Green Fodder ◽  
Feed Value ◽  
Full Utilization

A field experiment was performed in 2011–2013. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different proportions of Medicago media in mixtures with Festulolium braunii on the yield and feed value of green fodder, including the content of crude protein (CP) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and the carbohydrate-to-protein ratio. It was found that alfalfa had a high competitive advantage over Festulolium. In the second and third year of full utilization, alfalfa was the predominant species in the tested mixtures regardless of the proportion of sown seeds. The mixtures with alfalfa were characterized by high and stable dry matter yields and high protein content, whereas Festulolium significantly increased the content of WSC and improved the WSC:CP ratio. The evaluated mixtures had a higher feed value than pure-sown components. The results of the study indicate that Festulolium mixtures with a lower proportion (30% and 50%) of alfalfa are characterized by a higher feed value.

scholarly journals The effect of lactic acid additive on the quality and chemical composition of meadow grass silage

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 61-69
Author(s):  
Jan Pyś ◽  
Wladislaw Migdal ◽  
Branislav Zivkovic ◽  
Olga Kosovac ◽  
Mihal Fabjan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Water Solution ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Total N ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Fermentation Quality ◽  
Dominant Grasses

In the experiment, forage from the 1st cut of meadow grasses mown at the heading stage of dominant grasses was ensiled. The control silages were made from fresh forage (dry matter 223.5 g?kg-1) and wilted forage (dry matter 351.9 g?kg-1). The experimental silages were made from fresh forages supplemented with a 5% water solution of lactic acid (0.5 and 0.7 l?100 kg-1 of forage) and 8% water solution of lactic acid (0.4 and 0.6 l?100 kg-1 of forage). The highest contents of crude protein, water-soluble carbohydrates and energy were found in silages supplemented with 5% lactic acid applied at 0.7 l?100 kg-1 of forage and in silages supplemented with 8% lactic acid applied at 0.6 l?100 kg-1 of forage. The above silage variants were also characterized by the lowest content of NH3-N in total-N, butyric acid and acetic acid, as well as the highest contents of lactic acid and the best indicators of fermentation quality. No important differences were found between silages made from wilted forage and silages made with lactic acid supplement.

scholarly journals Grazing Preference of Dairy Cows and Pasture Productivity for Different Cultivars of Perennial Ryegrass under Contrasting Managements

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 253 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jordana Rivero ◽  
Oscar L. Balocchi ◽  
Fabián L. Neumann ◽  
Juan A. Siebald
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Sugar Concentration ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
High Sugar

The objective of this study was to evaluate the pasture performance of different cultivars of perennial ryegrass, two “high sugar” and two standard cultivars, under two contrasting agronomic managements (aimed at either decreasing or increasing water soluble carbohydrates concentration), and their effects on the grazing preference of dairy cows. Eight treatments arising from the factorial combination of four cultivars and two managements were randomly applied to 31-m2 plots in three blocks. Pasture dry matter production and growth rate were measured for one year. Three grazing assessments were performed to establish the grazing preferences of six dairy cows in spring, summer and autumn. High sugar cultivars produced less dry matter per hectare than the standard cultivars. Cows consumed more grass and harvested a greater proportion of the pasture under the agronomic management aimed at decreasing sugar concentration, i.e., with a greater nitrogen fertilization rate and under a more frequent defoliation regime, which could be explained by the greater crude protein concentration achieved under this management. The results suggest that the genetic selection for greater levels of sugars was at the expense of herbage yield, and that cows preferred to graze herbage with a greater crude protein level instead of a greater sugar concentration.

Utilization of nitrogen- and mineral-rich vascular forage plants by reindeer in winter

2002 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. STOREHEIER ◽  
S. D. MATHIESEN ◽  
N. J. C. TYLER ◽  
I. SCHJELDERUP ◽  
M. A. OLSEN
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrates

The marginal winter pastures of reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Arctic and sub-Arctic areas are assumed to be nitrogen- and mineral-poor. Reindeer eat a mixed diet consisting of nitrogen-deficient lichens and a wide variety of vascular plants in winter. Some reindeer populations manage to maintain carcass mass outside the growing season and very little is known about the ability of reindeer to utilize vascular plants in this season. The chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of 17 species of vascular forage plants and one species of moss collected mid-winter from beneath the snow at an inland winter pasture in northern Norway were determined. Wintergreen parts of graminoids had a high content of crude protein (0.072–0.108 g/kg dry matter (DM)) and water-soluble carbohydrates (0.098–0.167 g/kg DM) and were highly digestible (50–65% IVDMD) compared with the withered parts of the plants (27–53% IVDMD). The digestibility of both shrubs and graminoids was inversely related to content of cellulose and lignin, but positively correlated with increasing contents of water-soluble carbohydrates. Shrubs were relatively calcium-rich (3.6–6.1 g/kg DM) while wintergreen graminoids contained up to 10.0 g/kg DM of potassium, 1.5 g/kg DM magnesium and 2.1 g/kg DM phosphorus. The present study demonstrates that the wintergreen parts of several species of vascular plants are nutritious, containing high levels of nitrogen and minerals, and that they are highly digestible to reindeer in winter. Vascular plants may, therefore, be more important to reindeer and caribou in winter than previously realized.

scholarly journals The composition of pasture grasses at the university farm Viik

1965 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-147
Author(s):  
Maija-Liisa Salo
Keyword(s):  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Pasture Grasses ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Heading Stage

During the grazing seasons of the years 1961—63 determinations were made on the contents of monosaccharides, sucrose, fructosan, crude protein and ash in various grass species. In 1961 cocksfoot and meadow grass were investigated, in 1962 meadow fescue was included and in 1963 also timothy. Weather observations were also made during the seasons. The following results were established: At the beginning of the grazing season the contents of water-soluble carbohydrates in all the grasses were at a high level, reaching a maximum of slightly over 20 % of the dry matter. This high-sugar level lasted from one to four weeks, depending on the temperature, until the plants began to form flowering heads. At the heading stage the total amount of water-soluble carbohydrates decreased to nearly half of the previous level. During the remainder of the grazing season, or for 3—3 ½ months, the total sugar content was about 8—13 % of the dry matter, dropping sometimes, however, to as low as 6 %. At the end of the dry summer of 1963, higher contents than usual were determined. There were no great differences in the total contents of water-soluble carbohydrates between the different grass species. From the highest to the lowest sugar content, the species were: meadow fescue, meadow grass, cocksfoot. In fact timothy should be ranged as the first but this grass was not sampled from the pasture paddocks. Of the various water-soluble carbohydrates, the sucrose fraction was the largest in most of the samples. Cocksfoot contained less fructosan than the other grasses, and at the heading stage its content of monosaccharides was very high. Of the three years of the study, two were rainy and one was dry. In spite of the differing weather conditions, however, no noteworthy differences in the water-soluble carbohydrate contents were observed. The crude protein content was found to be dependent upon the growth stage. No appreciable differences were observed between cocksfoot, meadow grass and meadow fescue. Timothy, on the other hand, had a lower content of both protein and ash than the three pasture grasses. Contents of cell-wall substances were generally alike during the pasture season. Notable exceptions were evident only in the cases where the samples represented grass at an early growth stage. Meadow grass contained slightly more cell-wall constituents than cocksfoot, e. g. its xylan and crude lignin contents were somewhat higher. Furthermore, the solubility of such constituents in weak acid was slightly less for meadow grass than for cocksfoot.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document